Joe Adler

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve Board, the sole bank holding company regulator for decades, is about to experience a pretty new concept: a teammate.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. announced regulatory relief measures Wednesday for banks affected by severe weather in Missouri.

Three investment firms announced on Tuesday a joint venture with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to acquire $1.7 billion in loans and properties from the former AmTrust Bank.

WASHINGTON — Illinois regulators closed the $493 million-asset Palos Bank and Trust Co. late Friday, the 110th failure of the year.

WASHINGTON — Illinois regulators closed the $493 million-asset Palos Bank and Trust Co. late Friday, the 110th failure of the year.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. will soon post bi-weekly records of closed-door meetings it holds with bankers and other stakeholders regarding regulatory reform, the agency said Thursday.

The proposal, which would only apply to banks supervised by the agency, said institutions should give customers the chance to opt out of overdraft programs for their checking accounts and any automated clearing house transfers, as well as monitor overdraft usage to avoid unfair consumer fees.

Even as they begin dropping credit ratings as a supervisory source, regulators signaled Tuesday they are worried about abandoning their use altogether, suggesting that potential alternatives are not much of an improvement.

Regulators are poised this week to start moving away from reliance on the tarnished credit rating agencies in the supervisory process, but finding other options likely will be difficult.

Regulators are poised next week to start moving away from reliance on the tarnished credit rating agencies in the supervisory process, but finding other options likely will be difficult.

WASHINGTON — Charges that Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., helped win special treatment for a struggling bank may add fire to a continuing debate over whether the government's system for awarding bailout funds was fair, observers said.

While the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. successfully securitized failed-bank assets last week, helping it to off-load the detritus of recent collapses, it remains unclear whether the deal will accomplish another policy goal: helping reboot the private securitization market.

Five bank closures in four states Friday cost the federal government an additional $334 million in losses.

Barney Frank in hubbub over senior fare discount; rookie phenom can now commiserate with Ben Bernanke as target of rebuke by Sen. Jim Bunning; Goldman's profanity ban.

Five bank closures in four states Friday cost the federal government an additional $334 million in losses.

WASHINGTON — Though Congress consented to industry requests to extend a program that provides unlimited deposit insurance coverage for non-interest-bearing checking accounts, hard questions remain about how the extension will be implemented.

The central bank's Beige Book, released Wednesday, reported that some districts showed improvements in loan demand, lending standards and credit quality, while conditions in other regions were unchanged or worse than before.

Obama is cautious on Elizabeth Warren's prospects to head a new agency; Ken Feinberg's effort after 18 months; Dodd-Frank Act tops when compared to other landmark bills; and more.

As federal regulators begin implementing regulatory reform, at least one agency plans to step up its disclosure of private meetings with industry insiders.

North American Financial Holdings, a group formed by former Bank of America Vice Chairman Eugene Taylor, sealed deals to buy 3 failed banks in the Southeast late Friday.